1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a faucet, and more particularly to a faucet that is foot actuated.
2. Description of Related Art
The conventional faucet is opened or closed by hand. Touching the faucet after the hands have been washed will likely contaminate the hands. With consideration for personal sanitation and sterile conditions, some places such as public toilets and hospitals use a faucet that has a sensor to control an electromagnetic valve to selectively open the faucet. This type of faucet can save water and prevent the user""s hands from being contaminated, but it has several disadvantages.
1. The sensor in the conventional faucet uses infrared to sense the user""s hands. This type of faucet is very expensive and cannot be widely used.
2. The sensor in the conventional faucet usually operates with an electrically driven electromagnetic valve. Use of electricity in close proximity to water presents a potentially serious safety hazard to personnel.
3. There is a cost to operate the electromagnetic valve in terms of the cost of the electricity. The cost of operation is even higher because the sensor must have power constantly so that it can sense the presence of a person.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional tap.
A foot-actuated faucet in accordance with the present invention includes a valve having a body, a bonnet attached to the body and a diaphragm mounted between the body and the bonnet to define a chamber in the bonnet. The body includes an inlet to connect to a water source and an outlet. A vertical outlet channel is connected to the outlet at the lower end and a seat is formed on the upper end. An actuating hole is defined in the bonnet and extends from the chamber through the bonnet to an actuating tube connected to the actuating hole. A hole is defined in the diaphragm and has a diameter smaller than the actuating hole. An actuating device communicates with the chamber in the valve via the actuating tube and includes an actuating valve movably received in the actuating device. The actuating valve includes a shank partially extending out of the actuating device and configured to be pressed by the user""s foot to selectively release pressure in the chamber. The drop in pressure in the chamber causes the valve to open and water to flow to the outlet of the valve.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.